The Role of a Technical Illustrator
What Does a Technical Illustrator Do?
A technical illustrator creates visual representations for the products and services offered by a wide variety of organizations. The illustrator takes information from a description of an idea, product, or data and creates graphics that communicate this information clearly and accurately. The main task of the illustrator is to present technical, scientific, or medical information in a way that makes it easier for people to understand. The graphics produced by technical illustrators are used for instruction manuals, product specifications, maintenance documents, advertisements, training materials, textbooks, brochures, websites, and other media.
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What Are Technical Illustrations?
Technical illustrations can vary from simplified schematic drawings to highly detailed images that show how things look or work.
There are four main types of technical illustrations:
Line drawings
Cutaway drawings
Exploded view drawings
Clip art images
Some types of technical illustrations can include additional 2-D views, cutaway 3-D drawings, and on-screen animations. 2-D views provide supplementary detailed information and demonstrate the relationship of the parts. The cutaway 3-D drawings in which certain parts are removed, provide a visualization of the assembly or appearance of internal details. The use of 2-D/3-D animations helps to demonstrate the interactions of different systems in complex technical processes.
Line Drawings
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How Does a Technical Illustrator Work?
In certain cases, when the organization has an idea or a product that is not completely finalized, a technical illustrator can help not only with visualization of the initial idea but also with solving some design questions that become obvious during the illustration process.
What Tools Does a Technical Illustrator Use?
To provide the customer with the best result, a technical illustrator can use multiple tools and techniques. Sometimes the best way to start the drawing is to use pencil and paper to create an initial sketch, especially if the illustration includes human figures, animals, or parts of nature.
After the preliminary drawing is complete, the illustrator can finish their work using computer software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, AutoCAD, Photoshop, MS Office, Adobe Animate, and others.
Along with creativity, a technical illustrator brings their expertise in concept art, a strong understanding of color theory, use of space, text placement, typography, and layout.
From instruction printed materials of simple devices to interactive complex animations demonstrating work of oil and gas systems, the technical illustrator can create stunning graphics and videos to help you to explain, promote, and market your products and services in a creative and compelling manner.
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by Ilona Vasilevskaia